Slice will fight on reality show

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White has been one of the harshest critics of Kimbo Slice, the street fighter-turned-aspiring professional mixed martial artist.

White said his take on the 35-year-old brawler has not changed, even though he has signed Slice to a deal to compete on the organization's reality show for a lucrative UFC contract.

"I never changed my tune on him. I never changed my mind," White said. "I always said the only way this guy would ever get in the UFC is if he went through 'The Ultimate Fighter.' "

Now that Slice is on the show, White said his opinion might be proven wrong.

"Maybe he wins the (expletive) thing and I have egg on my face," White said. "Who knows?"

Either way, White said the fact Slice is willing to do the show says a great deal about the fighter.

"I respect him for coming in and doing 'The Ultimate Fighter,' " White said. "I did talk a lot of (expletive) about him, and he's here to prove himself."

Slice, whose real name is Kevin Ferguson, was part of the main event for the first MMA card to air on network television, when he beat James Thompson on CBS on May 31, 2008.

The fight drew a reported 6.5 million viewers, making it the most-viewed MMA fight in history.

Slice then suffered the first loss of his career when last-minute replacement Seth Petruzelli knocked him out in 14 seconds in October.

While he's just 3-1 as a professional and has a long way to go as a fighter before reaching the elite level, Slice has achieved stardom in the sport, mostly through his wildly popular Internet videos.

One of the upcoming season's coaches, former light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, said that popularity will help the show.

"I guess it's pretty big for 'TUF,' " Jackson said. "I was listening to the radio the other day, and his name was in a rap song, so that's pretty mainstream. He's one of the most famous fighters right now."

If Slice can win the show, he will add some credibility to the fame.

"He's always going to be the toughest guy at the barbecue," White said of Slice. "But world class? Now we get to find out."

Slice will compete with 15 other heavyweights on the show, which began taping in Las Vegas on Monday and will premiere on Spike TV in September.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.